Fire-extinguisher



UNrTeD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH OLAPP, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES YV.

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-EXTINGUlSHl-IR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,817, dated February 15, 1887. Application filcdAugust30,18S6. Serial No. QIQQTT. (No model.)

T all wwm, t 71mg/ con/cern.-

Be itknown that I, JosEPH CLAPP, of Evanston, in the county oi' Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-` Figure 1 is a side View rof said extinguisher.

1o Fig. 2 is an end View. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View. Fig. l is an opposite end View from that shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan View in detail of the horizon tal link which normally sustains the valve- I5 support in an upright position. Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the water-defiector.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

My invention relates to that class ot' re- 2o extinguishers known as sprinklers,7 in which a valve is held to its seat against a water-pressuredirectly or indirectly, by means of a fusible solderedjoint; and the object of my invention is to render said sprinkler positive, certain, and extremely sensitive in its action, while at the same time all undue strain is removed from the soldered joint, which serves to retain the Valve in place.

To this end my invention consists in the 3o combination of elements hereinafter' more particularly described and claimed.

A in the drawings represents ashort length or" pipe, both ends ot' which arescrew-threaded, the lower one being designed to be connected,

by means of an ordinary T union,'with a water-distribntin g pipe, as ordinarily arranged in a mill or factory A polygonal portion, a, is cast upon or otherwise rigidly attached to the pipe for the purpose of applying a wrench 4o for securing the parts together. The upper end ofthe pipe is made` to form a Valve-seat, over which is placed a valve or cap, B, a snitable packing, b, Fig. 3, preferably ot' compressed ber,77 being interposed between the 4,5 Valve and its seat to prevent leakage.

A collar or band, O, having an interior screw-thread, is placed upon the upper end or screw-threaded portion of the pipe A, to which itis secured, when properly adj usted, by means of a set-screw, e. Rigidly attached to said collar, and extending laterally and upwardly therefrom, is a bent arm, D, to the upper end ot' which is attached, preferably by means of a screw, e, a deliector or distributer, E, which is hereinafter more fully described.

Upon opposite sides ofthe collar O, are projecting pins or lugs c c, to which are loosely attached links F F, the tops of which are looselysecured toaeross pin or bolt,f, through the top of a stud or pin, G, as well as through perforations in the end of a bifurcated link, H, (shown in detail in Fig. 5,) said bifurcated portion heilig arranged to straddle the post G, as seen -in Fig. 2.

The link H, when in .its normal position, is arranged horizontally and rests beneath and against a shoulder or lng, d, rigidly attached to the side of the vertical portion of the arm D. Said link is provided with a cross-bar, 1L, and is projected through a slot or opening,j, Fig. 4, formed in a thin metallic plate, J, which restsat itsjuncture with the link Hagainst the lugd, and is lapped npon and attached by means of fusible solder atj, Figs. l and 3, to a secondary thin plate, J', which is in turn attached by means of a screw, j, to the upper end of the arm D. A rib or projection, d, Figs. l, 3, and 4, is formed upon the back ofthe arm D, immediately below the screw j, against which the plate J bears, so that the tension of said plates may be regulated, if desired, by turning said screw.

The post G, which is preferably tapered to ward its lower end, rests within a depression in the center of the valve B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The lugs c c are preferably placed at one side of the center of the tube A, so that the links F F are slightly inclined from the perpendicular, as shown in Figs. l and 3. In resisting the water-pressure upon the valve B the tendency of said links is to tilt the post G forward. rEhis tendency is again overcome by thelink H, which is in turn held by the metal plate J bearing against the lug d, the outer edge of which lug is preferably beveled, as in Figs. l and 3, so that the bearing or pivotal point may be as close to the top of the link as oLAPP,

possible, thus relieving the joint j', by which the whole is normally retained in position, from undue strain.

It is obvious that the links F F, instead of being inclined, may be placed in a vertical plane and the post inclined obliquely thereto without varying from the obvious principle of my invention.

By constructing said device as shown I am enabled to make the plates very thin, and as they absorb but a nominal amount of heat from the solderedjoint the latter is rendered exceedingly sensitive and quick in its action. The tensional strain of the link H is in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, which in turn imparts a breaking strain to the joint j', rendering the separation of the latter more certain whenthe solder melts. rlhis is an important feature, as itv is well known that a jet of Water, or anything which tends to cool the solder, may cause it to again set after it has once melted, and thus defeat the end to be accomplished. For this reason a sliding contact is objectionable in a soldered joint.

Vhen the parts are placed in position,as described, the pressure of the post G upon the valve may be increased to the extent desired by loosening the screw c and turning the collar C. Upon the fusing of the soldered joint j' the post G is tilted forward and the valve thrown from its seat by the Vpressure of the water, the relative position of the parts being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

rlhe exterior of the distributer Eis preferablyeonveX in form, while beneath itis concave, adepending central cone, as usual, being provided to initiate the distribution of the stream from the pipe A. A series of perforations, e', areformed in said distributer, being arranged obliquely to the axis of the pipe A, as shown in .to Fig. 3, each of said perforations being provided with a led e e2 in the rear thereof to serve asa 7 7 7 defiector for the purpose of directing aportion vof the water through said openings. Radial grooves or channels e3 are provided between the openings in each successive circle to permit a more complete distribution beneath the canopy.

AHaving claiml. A fire extinguisher or sprinkler .of the class described, in which the valve is held to its seat by means of a post, one end of which bears against the same, loosely connected with links for resisting the water-pressure upon said valve, and arranged in a plane oblique to the plane of the axis of said post, a link pivotally attached to the top of said post and placed horizontally, or nearly so, for normally preventing an oscillatory movement of said supporting-links, the outer end of said link being loosely attached to the end of a thin metal plate, which is in turn attached by fusible solder to a like plate rigidly secured to the frame, and a stationary stud secured to said frame, which serves as a bearing for said thin metal plate at or near itsjunction with said horizontal link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. ln a fireextinguisher of the class described, the combination, with a valve, of the post G, loosely connected with links F F, secured in turn to the frame, said posts and links, respectively, being in planes oblique to each other, and link H, loosely connected with a metal plate arranged to bear arrossa stationary pin or stud and attached by fusible solder to a secondary plate rigidly secured to the frame, substantially as and for the purposes described.

JOSEPH CLAPP.

thus described my invention, I

Vitnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, J. B. HALPENNY.

while the other is.- 

